Power adapter for automotive vehicle maintenance device

ABSTRACT

A power adapter for an automotive vehicle maintenance device includes a power input connection and a power output connection the is configured to connect to the automotive vehicle maintenance device. The power adapter also included connection circuitry the is configured to connect the power input connection to the power output connection.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application is based on and claims the benefit of U.S.provisional pat. application Serial No. 63/236,416, filed Aug. 24, 2021,the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference in itsentirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to maintenance devices used to test andservice automotive vehicles including electric vehicles and hybridvehicles. More specifically the present invention relates to a poweradapter for providing power to such devices.

Automotive vehicle maintenance devices are used to perform diagnosticsas well as maintain components of automotive vehicles. Specific types ofautomotive vehicle maintenance devices are used to test and chargebatteries of automotive vehicles. As used herein, automotive vehiclesinclude vehicles having an internal combustion engine including hybridvehicles as well as vehicles which are completely powered usingelectricity from storage batteries.

Examples of automotive vehicle maintenance devices include thosepioneered by Midtronics, Inc. of Willowbrook, Illinois, and Dr. Keith S.Champlin, including for example, those discussed in U.S. Pat. No.3,873,911, issued Mar. 25, 1975, to Champlin; U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,708,issued Sep. 30, 1975, to Champlin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,768, issued Mar.28, 1989, to Champlin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,170, issued Apr. 25, 1989, toChamplin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,038, issued Nov. 14, 1989, to Champlin;U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,416, issued Mar. 27, 1990, to Champlin; U.S. Pat.No. 5,140,269, issued Aug. 18, 1992, to Champlin; U.S. Pat. No.5,343,380, issued Aug. 30, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,136, issued Nov. 5,1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,355, issued Nov. 12, 1996; U.S. Pat. No.5,583,416, issued Dec. 10, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,728, issued Dec.17, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,757, issued Dec. 31, 1996; U.S. Pat. No.5,592,093, issued Jan. 7, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,098, issued Jan. 28,1997; U.S. Pat. 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In many instances, automotive service bays do not provide standard poweroutput connections of the type used to power automotive vehiclemaintenance devices. Thus, a solution that provides easy access to suchconnections is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A novel method and apparatus to address these and other concernsresulting in a safe and easy to manage solution is provided.

A power adapter for an automotive vehicle maintenance device includes apower input connection and a power output connection configured toconnect to the automotive vehicle maintenance device. Connectioncircuitry is configured to connect the power input connection to thepower output connection.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. The claimed subject matter is not limited to implementationsthat solve any or all disadvantages noted in the Background.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a charging stationemployed to charge an automotive vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a power adapter for an automotivevehicle maintenance device in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is another perspective view of the power adapter of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a front view of an automotive vehicle charger plug.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the power adapter of FIG. 2 including apower connection to a power input connection and a connection to a poweroutput connection.

FIG. 6 is a simplified block diagram showing connection circuitry thatenables power input from an automotive vehicle changer to be provided toa power output connection of a power adapter.

FIG. 7 is an electrical schematic diagram that shows components ofsignaling and control circuitry in an automotive vehicle charger and apower adapter in accordance with the Society of Automotive Engineers(SAE) J1772 standard.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a power adapter in accordance withanother configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the power adapter of FIG. 8 .

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a method embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described more fullyhereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Elements thatare identified using the same or similar reference characters refer tothe same or similar elements. Some elements may not be shown in each ofthe figures in order to simplify the illustrations.

The various embodiments of the present disclosure may be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to thespecific embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and willfully convey the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in theart.

As indicated earlier, in many instances, automotive service bays do notprovide standard power output connections of the type used to powerautomotive vehicle maintenance devices. However, in many instances inwhich no such power connections are available, a power output from anautomotive vehicle charging station may be available. The presentinvention provides a power adapter which allows an automotive vehiclemaintenance device to be powered from the power output from such anautomotive vehicle charging station. Prior to providing detailsregarding different embodiments of the power adapter, a description of aillustrative operating environment is provided below.

FIG. 1 shows an illustrative operating environment in which certainspecific embodiments disclosed herein may be useful. The operatingenvironment shown in FIG. 1 is for illustration purposes only.Embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to any particularoperating environment such as the operating environment shown in FIG. 1. Embodiments of the present disclosure are illustratively practicedwithin any number of different types of operating environments.

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic illustration showing a charging station 100employed to charge an automotive vehicle (e.g., a car) 102 in, forexample, an automotive service facility. The automotive vehicle 102 iselectrically connected to the charging station 100 by a charger 104 tocreate a charging connection with the charging station 100. Morespecifically, the charger 104 is removed from a holster 106 of thecharging station 100 and is plugged into, or mated with, a chargingcontrol system (not shown) of the automotive vehicle 102, which mayconvert the power supplied by the charger 104 to a form suitable forcharging batteries (not shown) within the automotive vehicle 102.

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) defines the general physical,electrical, communication, and performance requirements for electricvehicle charging systems used in North America, as part of standard SAEJ1772. SAE J1772 defines four levels of charging, two levels each foralternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) supplies; thedifferences between levels are based upon the power distribution type,standards and maximum power. AC Level 1 supplies 6-16 amperes (A)(0.7-1.92 kilowatts (kW)) at 120 volts (V). AC Level 2 supplies 6-80 A(1.4-19.2 kW) at 208-240 V. DC Level 1 supplies a maximum of 80 kW at50-1000 V. DC Level 2 supplies a maximum of 4000 kW at 50-1000 V.

For AC charging, the charging control system of the automotive vehicle102 receives AC power via the charger 104 and converts the ACpower/voltage to a DC voltage of a suitable level for charging theinternal battery of automotive vehicle 102. DC charging requires no suchconversion.

After charging of the automotive vehicle 102 battery is initiated asdescribed above, a display 108 of the charging station 100 may show, forexample, how much electricity is being added to the automotive vehicle102 and may also provide any other suitable information. When chargingby the charger 104 is completed, it may be placed back in the holster106 of the charging station 100. In should be noted that the chargingstation 100 and/or the charger 104 may include other elements such ason/off switches to commence/discontinue charging. Such elements are notshown and described in the interest of brevity.

As indicated above, various maintenance devices may be used to performdiagnostics as well as maintain components of automotive vehicles such102 in an automotive service facility that may include charging stationssuch as 100. Also, as noted above, service bays in such servicesfacilities may not provide standard power output connections of the typeused to power automotive vehicle maintenance devices.

The present invention provides a power adapter for an automotive vehiclemaintenance device. The power adapter allows the automotive vehiclemaintenance device to be powered using power from an electric vehiclecharging station such as 100. In one embodiment, the system functions inaccordance with the SAE J1772 connection standard described above. Suchan embodiment of the power adapter is described below in connection withFIGS. 2-7 .

FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of a power adapter 200 for anautomotive vehicle maintenance device in accordance with one embodiment.As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 , power adapter 200 includes a housing202 with a power input connection 204 and a power output connection 206,which are both accessible at a top 208 of the housing 202. It should benoted that, in alternate embodiments, power input connection 204 and/orpower output connection 206 may be located elsewhere (e.g., sides orbottom of the housing 202). In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 ,the top 208 is detachably coupled to a main body of the housing 202 withthe help of fasteners (e.g., screws 210). Internal connection circuitry(not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 ) that connects the power input connection204 to the power output connection 206 is included within housing 202.Power input connection 204 is protected by a cover 212 that is in aclosed position in FIG. 2 and in an open position in FIG. 3 . Powerinput connection 204 is configured to receive a power output connectionfrom a charger (e.g., charger 104 of FIG. 1 ) connected to an automotivevehicle charging station (e.g., charging station 100 of FIG. 1 ). In theconfiguration shown herein, the power connection is in accordance withthe SAE J1772 industry standard.

As can be seen in FIG. 3 , power input connection 204 of power adapter200 includes 5 holes with electrical contacts labeled 214-222 with eachdifferent hole configured to receive a different pin from a chargerpower output connection (e.g., plug) 224 shown in FIG. 4 . Pins of thecharger plug 224 shown in FIG. 4 are listed in Table 1 below.

Table 1 Position Identifier Full form/function 1 L1 AC Line 1 2 N “ACNeutral” for 120 V Level 1 charging or “AC Line 2” for 208-240 V Level 2charging 3 PE Protective earth or electrical ground 4 CP Control pilot 5PP Proximity pilot

It should be noted that the position column in Table 1 above isindicative of a position of the pin/conductor/contact in FIGS. 6 and 7 ,which are described further below.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of power adapter 200 with charger plug 224connected to power input connection 204 of the power adapter 200 and thepower output connection 206 connected to a power plug 227 of anautomotive vehicle maintenance device schematically shown as 228.Referring now to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 , when the plug 224 from the charger104 is connected to the power input connection 204, L1 is electricallyconnected to hole contact 214, N is connected to hole contact 216, PE isconnected to hole contact 218, CP is connected to hole contact 220 andPP is connected to hole contact 222. This connection causes the poweradapter 200 to receive power from the changer 104 via AC lines L1 and N.Power adapter 200 provides the received power to the power outputconnection 206 via internal connection circuitry (shown in FIG. 6 anddescribed below) within housing 202. Power output connection 206 may bein accordance with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)standard (e.g., IEC 60906-2). Alternatively, power output connection 206may be in accordance with the National Electrical ManufacturersAssociation (NEMA) standard. In general, any suitable power outputconnections 206 may be employed in different embodiments. In someembodiments, the power output connection 206 provides an output voltagethat is at a same voltage level as provided by the charger 104 at thepower input connection 204. In other embodiments, the internalconnection circuitry alters the power input voltage such that the poweroutput connection 206 provides an output voltage that is at a differentvoltage level than that provided at the power input connection 204. Insome embodiments, multiple power output connections 206 may be providedwith each different power output connection 206 providing same ordifferent output voltage levels. The power adapter 200 also includes anon/off switch 225 as well as an indicator light 226 which turns on whenthe switch 225 is in the on position and the power adapter 200 isreceiving power from the charging station 100. When the switch 225 isturned on and the power plug 227 of the automotive vehicle maintenancedevice 228 is connected to the power adapter 200 as shown in FIG. 5 ,the automotive vehicle maintenance device 228 receives power via thepower adapter 200.

FIG. 6 is a simplified block diagram showing connections between charger104 (connected to charging station 100 of FIG. 1 ) and power adapter 200that enable the power input from the changer 104 to be provided to thepower output connection 206 via connection circuitry of the poweradapter 200. Charger 104 includes signaling and control circuitry 230and input pins 1-5, which are included in plug 224 of the charger 104.Power input pins 1 and 2 are electrically coupled to power lines (e.g.,wires) 229 of charging station 100 and function as AC Line 1 and ACNeutral, respectively, as noted above in Table 1. As indicated above,input pin 3 is an electrical ground or PE pin. Signaling and controlcircuitry 230 is connected to pins 4 and 5 that are CP and PP pins,respectively. Signaling and control circuitry 230 may provide signalsindicating the presence of the AC input power, the current levelprovided, etc., and may monitor the connection and operation of thecharger 104 when it is connected to a device. As can be seen in FIG. 6 ,charger pin 1 (L1) is electrically connected to hole contact 214,charger pin 2 (N) is connected to hole contact 216, charger pin 3 (PE)is connected to hole contact 218, charger pin 4 (CP) is connected tohole contact 220, and charger pin 5 (PP) is connected to hole contact222. Hole contacts 214 and 216 are connected to internal power circuitry232 of the power adapter 200, which is also connected to electricalcontacts 234 and 236 of power output connection 206. A third electricalcontact 238 of the power output connection 206 is connected toelectrical ground. In some embodiments, internal power circuitry 232 isconfigured to provide an output voltage to power output connection 206that is at a same voltage level as provided by the charger 104 at thepower input connection 204. In other embodiments, internal powercircuitry 232 includes electrical components in a connectionconfiguration that alters the power input voltage such that the voltagelevel provided to the power output connection 206 is different from thatprovided at the power input connection 204. In some embodiments,internal power circuitry 232 is configured to provide multiple poweroutputs at same or different output voltage levels to multiple poweroutput connections 206 such as those shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , which aredescribed further below. Power adapter 200 also includes signaling andcontrol circuitry 240 that is coupled to hole contacts 220 and 222. Inthe embodiment of FIG. 6 , signaling and control circuitry 240 andinternal power circuitry 232 constitute connection circuitry of thepower adapter 200. Signaling and control circuitry 240 responds tosignals received from charger 104 and may also include on/off switch225. As will be described below in connection with FIG. 7 , when charger104 is connected to the power adapter 200, turning switch 225 onindicates to the charger 104 that a CP-PE or CP-electrical groundconnection is closed, and the charger 104 responsively provides power tothe adapter 200. Turning switch 225 off results in the CP-PE orCP-electrical ground connection being open, which results in the changer104 terminating the power input. It should be noted that, in someembodiments, switch 225 may instead be connected to internal powercircuitry 232 to enable and disable power transfer from the input powerconnection 204 to the output power connection 206. For example, switch225 may be anywhere in the electrical conducting path from the inputpower connection 204 to the output power connection 206.

FIG. 7 is an electrical schematic diagram that shows components ofsignaling and control circuitry 230 in the charger 104 and signaling andcontrol circuitry 240 in the power adapter 200 in accordance with theSAE J1772 standard. FIG. 7 shows a charge controller 242, a charger plug224, an adapter input power connection 204 and an adapter controller244. In the interest of simplification, components connected to powerpins/electrical contacts 1, 2, 214 and 216 are excluded form FIG. 7 . InFIG. 7 , all charger circuitry connected to charger pins 4 and 5constitutes signaling and control circuitry 230, and all adaptercircuitry connected to adapter electrical contacts 220 and 222constitutes signaling and control circuitry 240.

As can be seen in FIG. 7 , charge controller 242 incudes a voltagesource 246 that provides a voltage of +/- 12 V at a frequency of 1kilohertz (kHz), a switch S1 connected in series with the voltage source246, a resistor R1 having a value of 1 kiloohm (kQ) connected in serieswith switch S1, a charge control element 248, a detector 250 having aninput connected to resistor R1 and to CP pin 4, and an output connectedto an input of change control element 248. An output of change controlelement 248 in connected to an inductor K2. Charger plug 224 includespins 1-5 described earlier in connection with FIG. 6 , and additionallyincludes resistors R6 and R7, and a switch S3. R6 has a resistance valueof 150 Ω, and R7 has a resistance value of 330 Ω. As can be seen in FIG.7 , one end of R6 is connected to PP pin 5, and the other end of R6 isconnected in series with R7 that is also connected to electrical ground.Switch S3 is connected in parallel with R7.

Adapter controller 244 includes a CP controller 252 and CP circuitrythat includes a diode D1, a detector 254, resistors R2 and R3, a switchS2, and an inductor K1. An anode of diode D1 is connected to CP pin 220,and a cathode of D1 is connected to an input of detector 254, an outputof detector 254 is connected to an input of CP controller 252. ResistorsR2 and R3 are connected in parallel between the cathode of diode D1 andelectrical ground. The path between R2 and ground includes switch S2,which is switch 225 in FIGS. 2-6 . R2 has a resistance value of 1.3 kΩand R3 has a resistance value of 2.74 kQ. Adapter controller 244 alsoincludes a PP controller 256 and a resistor R4 connected to an input ofthe PP controller 256. R4 has a resistance value of 330 Ω . Adapterinput power connection 204 includes hole contacts 214-222 describedearlier and also include a resistor R5 that is connected between PP holecontact 222 and electrical ground. The end of R5 that is connected to PPhole contact 222 is also electrically connected to the input of PPcontroller 256.

In FIG. 7 , the CP line circuitry shows that the current loop CP-PE orCP-electrical ground is connected permanently on the adapter 200 sidevia 2.74 kΩ) resistor R3, making for a voltage drop from +12 V to +9 Vwhen S1 is closed and the charger plug 224 is mated with the input powerconnection 204, which activates the wave generator 246. The powerconnection between the charger 104 and the power adapter 200 isactivated by closing switch S2. Closing switch S2 adds parallel 1.3 kΩresistor R2 to the current loop, and R2 and R3 in parallel results in avoltage drop to +6 V. Hence, the charging station can react (e.g.,activate the power connection) by only checking the voltage rangepresent on the CP-PE or CP-electrical ground loop. When the powerconnection is active, the charging station can use the wave signal todescribe to the power adapter 200 the maximum current that is availablevia the charging station with the help of pulse-width modulation. In theinterest of simplification, details regarding pulse-width modulationthat may be employed in the circuit of FIG. 7 are not provided.

Switch S3 of the PP line circuitry is mechanically linked to the chargerplug 224 latch release actuator (not shown). During charging, thecharger 104 side connects the PP-PE or PP-electrical ground loop via S3and the 150 Ω resistor R6; when opening the release actuator (whichopens S3), the 330 Ω resistor R7 is added in the PP-PE loop on thecharger 194 side, which gives a voltage shift on the PP line to allowthe power adapter 200 to initiate a controlled shut off of power to thepower output connection 206 (not shown in FIG. 7 ) prior to actualdisconnection of the charge power pins 1-5. In some embodiments, PPcircuitry on the power adapter 200 side may be eliminated since theabsence of such circuitry on the adapter 200 side may not interfere withthe supply of power from the changer 104.

It should be noted that the voltage and resistance values provided inthe circuit of FIG. 7 are only examples, and other voltage and/orresistance values may be used in alternate embodiments.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are perspective views of another example configuration ofthe present invention including a standard power output connectionproviding a 240 V AC power output which can be used to power otherdevices. The power adapter of FIGS. 8 and 9 is denoted by referencenumeral 258, and the 240 V power output is denoted by reference numeral260. Housing 262 of power adapter 258 may be larger than housing 202 ofpower adapter 200 shown in FIGS. 2-5 . Additional fasteners may beemployed to secure top 208 to the larger housing 262. In general,elements other that the 240 V power output 260 are substantially similarto the elements of power adapter 200 described above in connection withFIGS. 2-7 , and therefore a description of those elements is notrepeated.

In another example configuration, which in not shown, a pass-throughconnection can be provided such that an electric vehicle may be chargedby the charging station while simultaneously providing power to theautomotive vehicle maintenance device. The automotive vehiclemaintenance device may be any type of maintenance device including thosereferenced in the Background section.

FIG. 10 is a simplified flow diagram of a method 1000 of providing powerto an automotive vehicle maintenance device in accordance with oneembodiment. At 10002, power from an electronic vehicle charger isreceived at a power adapter. At 1004, at least a portion of the receivedpower is provided to the automotive vehicle maintenance device via thepower adapter.

The embodiments described above have several advantages. For example,power can be easily supplied to the automotive vehicle maintenancedevice via the power adapter without requiring electrical infrastructurechanges at locations such as automotive service bays. Also, one or moreout voltage levels may me provided from the power adapter therebyincluding the possibility of providing both 110 V and 240 V outputs.

The battery maintenance may be optionally performed in accordance withtechniques pioneered by Midtronics, Inc. of Willowbrook, Illinois, andDr. Keith S. Champlin, including for example, those discussed in U.S.Pat. No. 3,873,911, issued Mar. 25, 1975, to Champlin; U.S. Pat. No.3,909,708, issued Sep. 30, 1975, to Champlin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,768,issued Mar. 28, 1989, to Champlin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,825,170, issued Apr.25, 1989, to Champlin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,038, issued Nov. 14, 1989, toChamplin; U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,416, issued Mar. 27, 1990, to Champlin;U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,269, issued Aug. 18, 1992, to Champlin; U.S. Pat.No. 5,343,380, issued Aug. 30, 1994; U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,136, issuedNov. 5, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,355, issued Nov. 12, 1996; U.S. Pat.No. 5,583,416, issued Dec. 10, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,585,728, issuedDec. 17, 1996; U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,757, issued Dec. 31, 1996; U.S. Pat.No. 5,592,093, issued Jan. 7, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,098, issued Jan.28, 1997; U.S. Pat. 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Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A power adapter for an automotive vehicle maintenance device, comprising: a power input connection comprising first and second power input connectors, and a control pilot connection; a power output connection comprising first and second power output connectors configured to connect to the automotive vehicle maintenance device; and connection circuitry configured to: electrically connect the first and second power input connectors of the power input connection to the first and second power output connectors of the power output connection; and indicate, via the control pilot connection, that the power adapter is ready to receive power from an external source.
 2. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the power input connection is in accordance with the SAE J1772 standard.
 3. The power adapter of claim 2 wherein the connection circuitry comprises a first resistor which connects the control pilot connection of the power input connection to electrical ground.
 4. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the power output connection is in accordance with a standard.
 5. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the connection circuity includes a switch to cause a charging station to provide power to the power input connection.
 6. The power adapter of claim 1 wherein the power input connection includes a top connector row comprising the first and second power input connectors, a middle connector row comprising the control pilot connection and a proximity pilot connection, and an electrical ground connection below the middle connector row.
 7. The power adapter of claim 1 including a visual output configured to provide an indication that power is being received on the power input connection.
 8. The power adapter of claim 2 wherein the connection circuitry further comprises a second resistor and a switch configured to selectively connect the control pilot connection of the power input connection to electrical ground via the second resistor, and wherein the connection circuitry is configured to cause a charging station to provide power to the power input connection when the switch connects the control pilot connection of the power input connection to electrical ground via the second resistor.
 9. A method of providing power to an automotive vehicle maintenance device, the method comprising: receiving, at a power adapter, power from an electronic vehicle charger; and providing at least a portion of the received power to the automotive vehicle maintenance device via the power adapter.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the received power comprises a first voltage level, and wherein the at least the portion of the received power is provided to the automotive vehicle maintenance device at the same first voltage level.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein the received power comprises a first voltage level, and wherein the at least the portion of the received power is provided to the automotive vehicle maintenance device at a second voltage level that is different from the first voltage level.
 12. The method of claim 9 wherein the receiving at the power adapter is carried out in accordance with the SAE J1772 standard.
 13. A power adapter, comprising: a power input connection configured to receive an electronic vehicle charger plug; a power output connection comprising at least one power adapter outlet in accordance with a standard; and connection circuitry configured to connect the power input connection to the power output connection.
 14. The power adapter of claim 13 wherein the power output connection is configured to connect to an automotive vehicle maintenance device.
 15. The power adapter of claim 13 wherein the power input connection is in accordance with the SAE J1772 standard.
 16. The power adapter of claim 15 wherein the connection circuitry includes a first resistor which connects a control pilot connection of the power input connection to electrical ground.
 17. The power adapter of claim 13 when the connection circuity includes a switch to cause a charging station to provide power to the power input connection.
 18. The power adapter of claim 13 wherein the connection circuitry is configured to receive a first voltage level from the power input connection and provide a second voltage level that is different from the first voltage level to the power output connection.
 19. The power adapter of claim 13 including a visual output configured to provide an indication that power is being received on the power input connection.
 20. The power adapter of claim 16 wherein the connection circuitry further comprises a second resistor and a switch configured to selectively connect the control pilot connection of the power input connection to electrical ground via the second resistor, and wherein the connection circuitry is configured to cause a charging station to provide power to the power input connection when the switch connects the control pilot connection of the power input connection to electrical ground via the second resistor. 